Cigarette package and blank or wrapper therefor



Jan. 25, 1938. F. LE R. FRANCISCO 2,106,499

CIGARETTE PACKAGE AND BLANK OR WRAPPER THEREFOR Filed May 8, 1955 V 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR. ERR/5 LsRa Y FR'HNU/EC'U 1938. F. LE R. FRANCISCO 2,106,499

CIGARETTE TACKAGE AND BLANK OR WRAPPER THEREFOR Filed May 8, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FERN/5' LsRur Pam/mac:

' TTTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 25, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE PACKAGE AND BLANK OR WRAPPER THEREFOR My present invention relates to cigarette packages and blanks or wrappers therefor, and more particularly to cigarette packages of the so-called cup or pouch type such as are now extensively employed by the larger cigarette manufacturers in packing their most popular brands.

Cigarette packages of the type stated consist of an outer cup or pouch made from a blank composed of relatively stiff but easily crushable paper, said blank being folded and shaped to provide a cup or pouch having an open top and a closed and sealed bottom. The cigarettes are generally enclosed within a composite sheet of thin foil and paper, the said sheet being folded in a characteristic manner at the opposite ends of the cigarettes, and the package so formed is enclosed within the cup or pouch with one of the interfolded ends of the composite wrapper exposed at the open end or mouth of the cup or pouch so that the said exposed interfolded portions may be readily torn away either wholly or in part in order to permit ready removal of the cigarettes. The filled package is usually sealed by a revenue stamp extending over the top thereof with its opposite ends pasted to the opposite side walls of the package, the said stamp serving to hold the folded portions of the composite sheet in closed position.

Cigarette packages of the kind described are made by complicated and expensive automatic machinery now in use by all the larger cigarette manufacturers and it will be apparent therefore, that any improvement in the package itself to have any chance of adoption, must be of such a nature that it may be made by the present automatic machines and without material alteration or reconstruction thereof.

While the described type of package has been extensively used, it is open to at least one serious objection, namely; it lacks the desired stability that such packages should possess to be entirely satisfactory, it being generally known that the present packages easily bend and crush transversely of their length when carried in the pocket of the user, especially when some of the cigarettes have been removed therefrom, with the result that such bending or crushing breaks or crushes the cigarettes crosswise, rendering them unsmokable and thus entailing a loss to the as to materially resist transverse bending and crushing strains, in order to give further pro tection to the cigarettes, especially after some of them have been withdrawn from the package, and wherein the material of the package may 5 be more or less easily collapsed longitudinally, as along its vertical or longer axis, as the cigarettes are removed therefrom, whereby the size of the package may be gradually reduced as the cigarettes are withdrawn, while at the same time 10 the package becomes more and more resistant to transverse crushing and bending strains as it is collapsed.

A further object of the invention is'toprovide a cigarette package of the kind described that 15 may be made upon existing automatic cigarette packing machines without material alteration or reconstruction thereof, and wherein theappearance and size of the package are not noticeably altered, the latter being a desideratumof 20 great importance because of the known reluctance on the part of cigarette manufacturers to alter the shape, size or appearance of the package of an established tobacco brand.

I am aware that attempts have heretofore 25 been made to stiffen the walls of cigarette packages by including therein a strip of relatively heavy card-board, but such packages have not been entirely satisfactory and have not gone into general use, because the stiffener elements 30 employed do not permit the package to be readily folded longitudinally or in the direction of its length and thus reduced in size, as the cigarettes are withdrawn from time to time, and this is one of the desirable and important characteristics 35 of my improved package that distinguishes it from others and renders it more convenient and acceptable.

Briefly and generally stated my improved cigarette package comprises a cup or pouch closed 0 and sealed at one end and open at its other end, combined with a plurality of cigarettes wrapped within'a composite foil and paper Wrapper inserted within the cup or pouch, the said composite wrapper including a multiplicity of relatively narrow and connected stiffener elements located within and extending longitudinally of the package and capable of permitting lengthwise folding thereof while materially increasing the resistance to transverse or crosswise bending strains. From actual tests I have demonstrated that cigarette packages constructed in accordance with my invention are approximately fifty percent more resistant to transverse or cross! wise bending strains than the known packages of this type.

In the present application I have illustrated and described several different embodiments of the invention, but I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise forms shown, except as I may be limited by a fair interpretation of the appended claims, as it will be clear to others, after reading my disclosures, that changes or modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to understand and practice my said invention, I will now proceed to describe the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherem:-

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional cup or pouch type cigarette package.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View on an en larged scale, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3, showing the package with one form of my improved stiffener incorporated therein;

Fig. 3 is a vertical, section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a composite foil and paper wrapper blank having one form of stiffener element associated therewith;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the blank taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a slightly modified form of the blank shown in Figs. land 5;

Fig. '7 is a transverse sectionalview of the blank taken on the line 'l--'| of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a composite blank wherein the stiffener elements are formed from a corrugated sheet;

Fig. 9 is a view, similar to Fig. 8, showing a slightly modified arrangement of the corrugated sheet shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a perspective View of a further modified form of corrugated sheet;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of another form of stiffener strip;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of still another form of stiffener strip;

Fig. 13 is an end elevation of one form of means for forming the stiffener sheet of Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a transverse sectional view of a filled package of cigarettes with my improved stiffener incorporated therein, and

Figs. 15 and 16 are transverse sectional views of a cigarette package constructed according to my invention and showing two of the many ways in which such packages may be collapsed or folded longitudinally or in the direction of length of the cigarettes, while at the same time increasing the resistance to lateral or transverse bending strains.

Referring to Fig. 1, which is a perspective view of a conventional cup or pouch cigarette package, the reference numeral 1, indicates the outer wrapper sheet from which the cup or pouch is made, said wrapper being formed of a sheet of relatively stiff, but easily foldable material, such as paper, folded to provide a cup or pouch which is closed and sealed at its bottom and open at the top.

The cigarettes are enclosed or wrapped in a composite foil and paper wrapper blank with which my improved stiffener member is associated as will presently appear, and the package of cigarettes thus wrapped is inserted in the cup or pouch (or the blank from which the latter is formed is folded about the package) so that the upper folded end of the package will be exposed at the upper open end of the pouch or cup with the foil portion of the wrapper exposed. In Fig. 1, the reference numeral 2, indicates the foil sheet of the composite wrapper which latter is usually closed providing two opposed pairs of inwardly directed folds 3 and 4, which are maintained in closed position by a revenue stamp 5, extending transversely across the same with the opposite ends of the stamp folded downward and pasted to opposite sides of the outer Wrapper or cup or pouch as shown, thus completing the package. The package may be opened by ripping away all or a part of the folded portion or portions 3 and 4 of the composite wrapper, or by tearing off the stamp and opening up or unfolding the folded portions 3 and 4 of the composite wrapper.

In Fig. 4, I have shown one form of stiffener element made in accordance with my invention, associated with a composite wrapper of foil and paper. In said figure the reference numeral 2, indicates the foil sheet, 5 indicates the paper sheet and '1, indicates my improved stiffener element, the three sheets being arranged in superposed relation and joined to each other by separated lines or zones of adhesive 8. As will be seen the stiffener sheet 1, is narrower or of less width than the foil and paper sheets of the composite wrapper and is located centrally thereof, leaving portions of the longitudinal edges of the foil and paper projecting from each edge thereof to provide for the folding portions at the ends of the package when the cigarettes are wrapped in or enclosed by the blank as heretofore described.

The improved stiffener element 1, shown in Figs. 4 and 5, consists of a relatively thin sheet of stiff paper or veneer having closely arranged transverse cuts, score lines, or incisions 9, extending partially therethrough to provide therebetween a multiplicity of relatively narrow stiffener strips or elements I2, arranged parallel to each other and connected one to the other along easy folding lines formed by the thin connecting web at the base of the cuts or incisions 9. The sheet thus cut, scored or incised may, in consequence, be easily folded or bent along any of the weakened lines between anypair of stiffener strips in order to permit the cigarette package to be folded or collapsed along lines extending longitudinally thereof as more clearly shown in Fig. 15, which is illustrative of only one of many ways in which a cigarette package is thus folded or collapsed longitudinally by the user as the cigarettes are removed therefrom. I prefer to use for the stiffener strip a relatively thin, high calendered board of the type of so-called Bristol board in order not to materially increase the dimensions of the package and because this type of board has considerable inherent stiffness or strength.

It has been demonstrated by actual tests, that a cigarette package having the parallel stiffener strips associated with its wrapper as herein provided, may not only be easily folded or collapsed along parallel lines as described, but that the said strips materially strengthen the package and increase its resistance to transverse bending strains such as occur when the partially filled package is carried in a pocket of the user, and thus tend to prevent breakage of the cigarettes while in the package and consequent loss to the smoker.

Thus my improvement stiffener member, when associated with a cigarette package performs the two-fold function of permitting the partly empty package to be folded or collapsed longitudinally or along lines extending parallel with the length of the cigarettes in the package, and also strengthens the package by increasing its resistance against transverse bending strains.

In Fig. 6, I have shown a modified form of stiffener element wherein I dispense with the paper sheet 6, and attach the foil sheet 2 directly to the stiffener sheet l which may be equal in width to the foil sheet and wherein the cuts or incisions 9 extend only partially across the stiffener sheet. In this construction the portions of the foil and stiifener strips that extend longitudinally thereof and which lie outside the cuts or incisions are adapted to be folded in any suitable manner in order to close the ends of the package. i

Instead of forming the stiffener from an incised sheet, as previously described, I may employ one of a number of different forms or arrangements of corrugated stiffener sheets, as shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10 of the drawings.

In Fig. 8 the reference numeral l3 indicates the foil sheet, and 54 indicates the usual paper sheet which is associated with the foil sheet in the production of the composite wrapper. In this arrangement, a corrugated sheet !5 with its attached backing sheet H3 is interposed between the foil and the paper sheets and connected thereto by lines or zones of adhesive H.

In the construction illustrated in Fig 8, the corrugated sheet l5 provides a multiplicity of stiffener strips formed by the ridges it of the corrugations which are connected together by the webs l9 between the ridges, thus permitting the composite wrapper to be folded or collapsed along longitudinal lines, while at the same time the ridges of the corrugations serve to resist transverse bending or breaking strain.

The material from which the corrugated sheets are formed, where such sheets are employed as above and as hereinafter described, is preferably composed of relatively thin, hard or highly calendered paper, as distinguished from the coarse and heavy paper usually employed in making corrugated containers. The reason for this selection of the paper stock described, is to avoid, as much as possible, increasing the size and bulkiness of the package, and because a heavy paper stock is neither necessary or desirable.

In Fig. 9, I have shown another arrangement similar to that illustrated in Fig. 8, except that the backing sheet ic for the relatively thin but stiff corrugated sheet I5 is located on the reverse side of the corrugated strip from that shown in Fig. 8, and wherein the foil sheet Id is connected by lines or zones of adhesive l'l applied directly to the ridges of the corrugation as well as to the foil sheet W or to the paper sheet I l In Fig. 10 I have illustrated a further modification wherein two corrugated sheets of relatively thin paper, [5 are arranged with their ridges l8 in opposed relation to provide what might be termed a succession of hollow tubes 2!] arranged parallel to each other and each of which is connected to the other byintermediate thinner folding lines. In this arrangement shown in Fig. 10, the foil sheet is indicated by the numeral 13 and the paper sheet by the numeral M the said sheets being connected together by lines or zones of adhesive li while the corrugated sheet lfi is likewise attached to the sheet it by lines or zones of adhesive I'l.

In Fig. 11, I have illustrated a still further modification of the invention, wherein the stiffener consists of a plurality of stifiening strips .of permitting lengthwise folding thereof while 22, secured in spaced parallel relation to one face of a paper strip 23. In this arrangement I employ a foil sheet 24, which is adhesively attached to the paper sheet 23, along lines. or zones 25, the adhesive being applied to the paper sheet 5 or the foil sheet, and may be applied also to the stiffener strips 22, the latter being-arrangedbetween the foil sheet 24 and the stiffener sheet The strips 22, may be composed of any appropriate material, such as metal, wood splints, '0 cardboard or the like, and may be applied either to the paper or the foil sheet.

In Fig. 12, a still further modification is illus trated, and in this arrangement the stiffener consists of a sheet of relatively soft paper impregmated with a phenolic condensation product, such, for instance as Bakelite or the like, which is then compressed between a pair of hot forme ing surfaces, such as opposed toothed rollers 26, as shown in Fig. 13, to provide a strip having a multiplicity of parallel stiffeners 21, joined together by relatively thin webs 2B, constituting easily bendable folding lines. In this construction the stifiener strip is adhesively connected to a paper backing strip 29, which in turn is faced with a foil sheet 38.

While I have illustrated and described herein several different forms of wrapper blanks of foil and paper having an associated stiffener, each of which embodies a multiplicity of relatively narrow stiffener elements arranged in parallel relation, and wherein each'is joined along easily foldable or bendable lines of thinner material, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the arrangements and constructions shown, except as I may be limited by the appended claims, as obviously other constructions will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

In each construction shown and described it is to be understood that the composite wrappers are to be prepared in the form of a continuous web supplied in roll form from which the wrappers may be cut as the composite web is fed into existing cigarette packing machines, thus my improved composite wrapping material may be used in precisely the same way that the present wrapper material is used and without requiring any material changes in or additions to such packing machines.

What I claim is:

1. A cigarette package of the cup or pouch type, comprising a cup or pouch closed and sealed at one end and open at the other end, combined with a plurality of cigarettes wrapped within a composite foil and paper wrapper located within the cup or pouch, the said composite wrapper including a multiplicity of connected relatively narrow stiffener elements located within and extending longitudinally of the package and capable 60 increasing the resistance to transverse bending strains, the end closure portions of said package being formed of flexible, foldable material.

2. A cigarette package of the cup or pouchlike type, comprising a cup or pouch closed and sealed at one end and open at the other, combined with a plurality of cigarettes wrapped within a composite foil and paper wrapper located within the cup or pouch, the said composite wrapper including a multiplicity of relatively narrow stiffener elements-connected along weakened folding lines, said elements being located within and extending longitudinally of the package and permitting lengthwise folding thereof while increasing the resistance to transverse bending strains,

the end closure portions of said package being formed of flexible, foldable material.

3. The cigarette package defined in claim 1, wherein the foil portion of the composite wrapper is wider than the length of the stiffener elements.

4. The cigarette package defined, in claim 1, wherein the said stiffener elements are of less length than the width of the foil sheet and are positioned between and transversely of the longitudinal edges of said sheet.

5. A composite wrapper for use in forming a cigarette package, including a foil sheet, a backing sheet and an associated stiffener sheet having a series of closely arranged parallel cuts or incisions extending transversely thereof to provide a relatively narrow stiffener element between each pair of said cuts or incisions, said stiffener than the width of the foil sheet, said stiffener sheet being so arranged that the stiffening elements thereof will extend longitudinally of said package.

7. The composite wrapper defined in claim 6, wherein the stiffener sheet is of less width than the width of thefoil sheet.

FERRIS LE ROY FRANCISCO. 

